Accident: 170588669 - Leg Injured During Sandblasting
On June 24, 1996, Employee #1 was sandblasting the hold-down bolts of a chiller water tank in lot #9. He finished sandblasting the bolts on the south side of the tank and as he turned to begin work on the north side, he stumbled over the air hose and stepped off the 24 in. high foundation. He did not let go of the deadman switch, and the stream of sand struck him just above the top of his boot. He sustained injuries that required hospitalization.
construction, sandblasting, fall, leg, water tank, deadman control, tripped, inattention, elevated work plat, air hose
Accident: 201050267 - Foot Injured In Forklift Collision
Employee #1, of Sam's Club/Wal-mart in South Gate, CA, was using a Crown electric stand-up forklift to remove pallets from a large freezer. As he exited the freezer, he found he could not reverse direction to control the forklift. He attempted to engage the mechanical brake by removing his foot from the deadman, but the brakes failed to engage. Just before colliding with a bumper post next to the wall, Employee #1 either tried to jump out of the vehicle, or his foot slipped and was crushed between the forklift and the bumper post. He sustained multiple fractures in his left foot, and was hospitalized for surgery. His left big toe had to be surgically amputated at a later date.
walk-behind forklift, mech malfunction, deadman control, fracture, caught between, toe, brake, foot, crushed
Accident: 170355440 - Injured When Pinned By Battery Locomotive
Employee #1, of Westcon Microtunneling, was operating a 1-1/2 yard Decker battery locomotive. He was pushing the locomotive into an 80 in. diameter tunnel when he placed the directional switch in the opposite direction. Realizing his mistake, he immediately disengaged the deadman switch, but mistook the directional lever for it. When he then pulled what he thought was the deadman switch, the locomotive moved. Employee #1 jumped away but became pinned between the locomotive and the conveyor. He suffered five broken ribs, a punctured lung, abrasions, and a sprained wrist.
train, pinned, lung, puncture, switchgear, fracture, deadman control, construction, inattention, conveyor
Accident: 170738660 - Left Thumb Caught In Dies Of Broaching Machine
At about 6:00 p.m. on June 23, 1994, Employee #1, of Betzler Manufacturing, was operating a broaching machine located inside the shop. The machine has one fixed die and one moveable die. The motion of the moveable die is manually controlled by the operator through constant pressure on a control lever. Employee #1 was broaching a metal piece when he noticed an unwanted metal broach piece, and tried to remove it with his left hand while keeping his right hand on the control lever. His left thumb was caught and crushed between the dies. According to the employer, no one actually saw the accident and the employee could not be contacted.
die, caught between, thumb, deadman control, cleaning, lockout, work rules, crushed, control lever
Accident: 170562532 - Injured When Pinned By Reach
Employee #1 got off the reach, which is normally driven in a backward direction, to replenish the Palomatic pallet dispenser. The reach pinned him against the Palomatic. Employee #1 suffered a broken pelvis and ribs and a crushed urethra. He had expected that the brake, which is controlled by a deadman pedal that must be depressed by the operator in order to be released, would hold the reach in place. The reach was found to have an empty brake fluid reservoir. The employer's program that required all powered industrial truck operators to inspect the trucks at the start of the shift was not being carried out consistently.
industrial truck, brake, deadman control, pinned, work rules, fracture, pelvis, rib
